“National park tourism is a significant driver in the national economy — returning $10 for every $1 invested in the National Park Service — and it’s a big factor in our local economy as well,” Tom Ross, superintendent of the Morristown national park, said in a statement.

NO NONSENSE: Visitors to the Morristown National Historical Park spent nearly $17M in the region, according to a federal study. Tom Winslow, in colonial garb, is pictured here on July 4, 2014, with Mayor Tim Dougherty and Councilwoman Alison Deeb at Fort Nonsense. Park Superintendent Tom Ross looks on. Photo by Jeff Sovelove

“We appreciate the partnership and support of our neighbors and are glad to be able to give back by helping to sustain local communities,” he said, citing the Morris County Tourism Bureau and Park Commission, the Washington Association of New Jersey, and the town of Morristown among its partners.

The Morristown National Historical Park encompasses four sites: Jockey Hollow, the Washington’s Headquarters Museum, Fort Nonsense and the Cross Estate.

Not surprisingly, visitors to a Revolutionary War capital seek good grog. The biggest jobs category supported by visitor spending nationwide was restaurants and bars (50,000 jobs), the study found.

In all, 273.6 million visitors spent $14.6 billion in communities within 60 miles of a national park, with a cumulative economic impact of $26.5 billion, according to the National Park Service. Here is the full statement.

Morristown, NJ – A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that 304,940 visitors to Morristown National Historical Park in 2013 spent more than $16 million in communities near the park. That spending supported 197 jobs in the local area.

“Morristown National Historical Park is proud to welcome visitors from across the country and around the world,” said Superintendent Tom Ross.

“We are delighted to share the Morristown story and the experiences it provides, and to use the park as a way to introduce our visitors to this part of the country and all that it offers. National park tourism is a significant driver in the national economy – returning $10 for every $1 invested in the National Park Service – and it’s a big factor in our local economy as well. We appreciate the partnership and support of our neighbors and are glad to be able to give back by helping to sustain local communities.”

“We look forward to continuing to work with our local partners,” Ross elaborated, “who support Morristown National Historical Park. Without the help of organizations such as the Washington Association of New Jersey, the Morris County Tourism Bureau, the Morris County Park Commission, the Town of Morristown, the Great Swamp Watershed Association and the Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area, we would not be able to attract as many visitors as we do or provide the same level of preservation, visitor services and programs.”

The peer-reviewed visitor spending analysis was conducted by U.S. Geological Survey economists Catherine Cullinane Thomas and Christopher Huber and Lynne Koontz for the National Park Service. The report shows $14.6 billion of direct spending by 273.6 million park visitors in communities within 60 miles of a national park. This spending supported more than 237,000 jobs nationally, with more than 197,000 jobs found in these gateway communities, and had a cumulative benefit to the U.S. economy of $26.5 billion.

According to the 2013 economic analysis, most visitor spending was for lodging (30.3 percent) followed by food and beverages (27.3 percent), gas and oil (12.1 percent), admissions and fees (10.3 percent) and souvenirs and other expenses (10 percent).

The largest jobs categories supported by visitor spending were restaurants and bars (50,000 jobs) and lodging (38,000 jobs).

The report includes information for visitor spending at individual parks and by state.

To learn more about national parks in New Jersey and how the National Park Service works with New Jersey communities to help preserve local history, conserve the environment, and provide outdoor recreation, go to www.nps.gov/newjersey.